Be a Smart Horse Buyer - by Bob Avila

Bob Avila

In Be a Smart Horse Buyer, Bob Avila, trainer of over 35 world champion or reserve world champions, leads you step by step through the horse purchase process.
While buying a horse should be exciting, sometimes its downright frustrating. This new book from top horseman Bob Avila promises to make the process easier and much more enjoyable. On Sale now at HorseBooksEtc.com

BE A SMART HORSE BUYER

The Publisher, HorseBooksEtc.com offers two free excerpts from this fine book:

Smart Buyer Questionaire - two page checklist that every Buyer should use and every Seller should be prepared to answer.

The PrePurchase Exam - six pages charting 16 common ailments and conditions. Bob explains each condition and discusses "Points to keep in mind" , "Buy the horse?" and "Red flags"

Choosing the Right Prepurchase Exam Vet

Top performance horse veterinarian Kurt Heite, DVM, offers tips for choosing a prepurchase exam veterinarian.
From an article on Equisearch.com:

Choose a vet who specializes in what you want to do, and who does a lot of PPEs. For instance, if you're buying breeding stock, hire a vet who's a breeding expert. If you're buying a performance horse, find a vet who specializes in performance horses.

Contact the American Association of Equine Practitioners, and ask for a performance horse vet in your (or the seller's) area. Go to www.yourhorseshealth.com/getadvm, or call 859-233-0147.

Contact your regional equine veterinary school and ask for recommendations.

Opt for a vet with digital X-ray technology. Such X-rays provide superior diagnostic capability over both hard (standard) film and fluoroscopy (a form of video X-ray). (This is especially key if you're buying a horse for resale; your buyer may opt for digital images during a PPE, which could turn up something you missed if your vet didn't use them.) Digital X-rays can also be instantly emailed or burned to a CD, for review for a second opinion. article continues below

Pick a vet who can communicate on your level, meaning one that you're comfortable talking to. You want him or her to be able to break down any findings into layman's terms. And, you especially want to be able to ask any and all questions that occur.

Try to avoid using the seller's and/or horse's regular veterinarian, if possible, to avoid a potential conflict-of-interest situation.